Air conditioning unit for warm air furnaces



J. E. LONG Jan. 8, 1946.

AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FOR WARM AIR FURNACES Filed May 22, 1944 INVENTOR. Za/v' ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 8, 1946 AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FOR WARM AIR FURNACES John E. Long, Boulder, Colo. Application May 22, 1944, Serial N0. 536,685

1 Gaim.

This invention relates to an air conditioning unit, and is more particularly designed to furnish the incoming air to a warm air furnace.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a highly efficient unit of this character which will filter the incoming air and impart a uniform and predetermined degree of humidity thereto.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the unit that it will be entirely automatic in its operation.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent lowing description. V

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section through the improved unit showing the interior construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a cross section, taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, with the filter pads removed;

Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the mercury I switch employed in the unit;

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating the electric connections to the various elements; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, side view of the unit illustrating the position of the humidity control lever thereon.

The unit is enclosed in a housing Ill formed with an air intake opening I at its top. An inclined partition plate l2 divides the housing into an intake compartment and a fan compartment. A suitable fan |3 is mounted in the fan compartment, and is driven from a fan motor l4 through the. medium of a suitable V-belt drive IS. The fan intakes from the fan compartment, and discharges through a discharge conduit l6, extend-'- ing through the wall of the cabinet I0. The discharge conduit is arranged for connection with the cold air intake of a typical warm air furnace of any desired type.

A humidifying screen I! is positioned between the intake compartment and the fan compartment so that all air flowing to the fan must pass through this screen. The upper edge of the screen is securedalong the bottom of a V-shaped water trough I3 containing spaced apart perforations |9 through which water drips to the screen |'I.

Water is supplied to the trough l3 from a water from the fol-* reservoir 20 carried ona shelf formed on the lower extremity of the partition plate I2. The bottom of the. water reservoir contains water ports, each of which is controlled by a tapered plug valve 2|. The valves 2| are mounted on the valve stems 22 which are maintained in alignment with the ports by means of suitable valve 1 stem guides 23. Compression springs 24, positioned between the guides 23 and the valves 2|, constantly urge the latter toward the ports.

The valves 2| are suspended from flexible members 25 which 'may be chains, cables or cords. The upper portions of the flexible members are secured to, and wrapped about, a control rod26 which terminates on the exterior of the-housing Hi in a humidity control lever 21. The control lever can be locked in any desired position in a suitable notched quadrant 28. A guide rod 41 f from a feed tank 29 in the base of the housing,

through the. medium of a water pump 30 and a riser pipe 3|. The pump 30 is driven from a suitable electric pump motor 32 which is in circuit with a mercury switch 33. The mercury switch is mounted on a tilting switch arm 34, one exfloat 39. Thus, as the level of the water in the tank 29 lowers the float 39 will also lower to open the valve 33 to admit water from the feed pipe 31.

Filter supporting members 40 extend across the housing 10,- and support suitable filter pad 4| in the path of the air flowing to the screen ll. The pads may be of mineral wool, spun glass, shredded fiber or any other desired filtering material. The air opening II is surrounded by a shoulder flange 49 for receiving the lower extremity of a typical cold air duct. One side of the housing is provided with a lower removable panel 42 which allows removal of the various water containers, screen etc. and with an upper removable panel 48- which allows removal of the filter pads l I In Fig. 4, a typical wiring diagram is illustrated in which the electrical supply mains are indicated at 43. One of these mains leads to the to which the unit is connected. From the thermostat 44, a conductor 45 leads to the fan motor l4. Ground conductors 48 extend from both motors 32 and-l4 to the other feed main 43.

It can be readily seen that as the temperature in the furnace lowers the thermostat 44 will close the circuit to the motor I 4 starting the fan It, as the level of the humidifying water in the reservoir 20 lowers, the switch 33 will close the circuit to the motor 32 starting the pump 30, and as the level of the water in the feed tank lowers the float 39 will admit additional water. Thus the device is entirely automatic in operation.

The screen I! is ofrelatively fine mesh so that the water dripping from the orifices l9 will spread thereover by capillary attraction. This allows the water to be readily picked up by the air in a highly dispersed state. It will be noted that the lower extremity of the screen hangs in the water of the feed tank 29. This prevents the air from by-passing the screen and also allows any excess water to return from the screen to the feed tank for recirculation.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same maybe varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is;

An air conditioning unit for warm air furnaces comprising; a housing having an entirely open top; two oppositely positioned end walls in said housing; a partition plate extending inwardly and downwardly into said housing from the first end wall and terminating in spaced relation to thesecond end wall; a V-shaped trough in the lower extremity of said plate extending transversely of said housing and having perforations in its bottom; a humidifying screen suspended from said trough below said perforations and extending across and to the bottom oi said housing; a water reservoir supported by said partition plate over said trough; vertically opening valves in the bottom of said reservoir; means for opening said valves from the exterior of said reservoir; a feed tank in said housing below said screen; a motor-driven pump elevating water from said feed tank to said reservoir; a blower in said housing below said partition plate discharging through said first end wall and receiving its air through said screen; and filter means positioned in the path of the air between the open top of said housing and said humidifying ,screen.

JOHN E. LONG. 

